Switchboard Comparisons – What Kind Do I Need?

Since Alexander Graham Bell invented telephones, the invention received a tremendous amount of improvements and upgrades over the course of time. A lot of people saw great potential for telephones, both in a business perspective and a consumer perspective. The best one that businesses may have received is the creation of switchboards. Society used to perceive switchboards as something that could have never been used in different areas and locations across the globe. Yet today, there are various types of switchboards, something which may been unimaginable and unbelievable during the 1800s era.

The Switchboard in Telecommunications

The first ever switchboard was called the Analogue switchboard. This is the oldest type of switchboard. The analogue is designed to link nearly anything that utilizes modern phone lines. This type of switchboard goes way back a long time ago and has been utilized by businesses for more than a century now. This network is one of the most economical means of linking your business to outside contacts. In the past, individuals used to run switchboards manually. But today, advanced switchboards can be linked internally and individuals from the outside can be linked through a mere push of the button that assists the extension.

Meanwhile, an IP network is practically a network that makes use of PABX. To put it in simple terms, PABX stands for Private Automated Branch Exchange, which depicts that an enterprise utilizes the switchboards to link to various extensions in a business. This is a more advanced type of switchboards.

Another form of switchboards is known as Interactive Voice Response switchboards. This is especially popular for small firms and businesses in which the usual scenario involves a consumer demanding to speak with someone specific whom is designated in another sector or branch of the enterprise. Under Interactive Voice Response switchboards, there are three subcategories, namely Inbound, Outbound and a mix of the two.

ACD switchboards, on the other hand, are developed for larger companies and workplaces. ACD, short for Automatic Call Distribution, switchboards can be typically found implemented by call centers. This type of switchboard works by distributing calls to the first accessible operator or receptionist, who is operating with a dashboard or computer display, which they can use to contemplate information on. This system assists in lowering the time a client is on standby until an operator is able to answer their call. ACD switchboards are coupled with a caller ID or an electronic number identification system to obtain and store client’s contact details for future reference.

Electrical Switchboard

An electric switchboard is different than switchboards used for telecommunications. The electric switchboard is used to direct electricity from one point to another. This type of switchboard is defined by the NEC as a large assembly of panels on which other instruments are mounted. The device divides the main current into smaller currents to be distributed to transformers and other control equipment.